Truth Is A Whisper
by Antevorte
Summary: Leaving Forks three years ago was a difficult decision for Bella to make. Now, she is finally happy. But, that soon changes when she and Edward, her ex-boyfriend, meet in the busy life of New York City.
1. Prologue

Truth Is A Whisper

By: A.G.W

**Prologue**

**Edward's POV**

"Are you alright?" the woman asked as we step into the frostiness of Manhattan. It seems she had taken note on the sudden change of my skin color, since it had turned pale. I nodded for my throat had decided to close in that moment.

"Perhaps we should take a seat," she suggested as she gestured to the benches near the light post. I walked there in silence, and sat down. She followed closely and sat to my right.

Twisting her upper body, she said, "What is it?"

I simply shook my head, telling her to not interrogate me at the moment. Sighing, she faced front and watched as the people crossed the street, as I did. I tried to divert my attention to anything with the exception of what I saw across the street. Yet, it had not worked.

My mind whirled in motion as the picture that my brain had captured, flashed before my eyes once again. As I see the image, it felt as if my organs had stopped functioning properly. Now, they seem similar to what I had felt the day I found out it was too late.

Honestly, I had not planned on seeing the woman that haunted my endless dreams every day in the dead of the night. She was the sole reason why I still struggled to move forward with my daily activities. You would think that after three long, miserable years I would be capable of composing myself when I next face her. If you concluded that outcome, you were absolutely misguided.

It is presumable that Fate either favored me or had taken a liking on torturing me further. Most likely, it is the latter. For if I could have any wish granted, it would have to be never to see her. The reason for my attitude of dislike towards her is due to her vanishing from my life prior to three years ago. She walked out, on not only me, but her friends and family. Until this day, I had no concept to where she would be.

"Is it possible to rest in your apartment?" My head snapped to my right. I became fully conscious that I am not alone. It seems I had forgotten about my small companion. When I had not replied, she continued. "Then maybe you could care to explain to me as to why you look pale or why you appear to be fully unaware I am with you? Honestly, Edward, sometimes you could be so crude. "

"I apologize, Alice. I had seen someone whom I had not…expected." I pretended to observed those who crossed the pavement when the light turned green. As I did, I noticed a familiar brunette hair that was braided to the side. Her face shone to where the light reached it. A smile was plastered across her face. She looked down to her side where a boy of perhaps three or four years was holding her hand. The way she smiled to him was similar to when an angel would tenderly look at sleeping child.

Memories instantly flooded my head. The first day I saw her; The first day I met her; Her characteristics and personality; The times we spent together: Everything about her. I closed my eyes momentarily, and opened them to find her eyes had found mine.

Her smile was now gone. Shocked, confusion, and an additional expression that I could not interpret flashed in her face instead. She had stopped walking thus others had bumped into her. I took a swift glance at Alice, apparently she followed my gaze. Now, instead of her and I in a staring competition, it was now Alice and her.

Alice whispered in an astonish awe, "Bella."

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_Yes, this story has been published before - with the same prologue, title, and summary. This story was originally started by StareeLei but she has decided to quit writing and has given me permission to continue writing this. You can message me her if you want. =]_

_Chapter 1, however, will be written by me and, hopefully, be beta'd. _

_- Antevorte  
_


	2. Chapter 1: A Long Day

Truth is a Whisper: Chapter 1 – A Long Day

Written by: Antevorte

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Disclaimer:**

_Stephenie Meyer owns the Twilight with the Hunk-Vampire Edward, Clumsy Bella, Hawt-Werewolf Jacob, and many other characters in the book. Once again, this story-line was not thought of by me; it was thought of by my cousin. All I really own is my idea on what this chapter should be about._

_Also, this chapter was beta'd by Cullenite21 & Sheynondoah from Project Team Beta =]  
_

_XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX  
_

Bella's POV

**Three Years Ago – December 19, 2007**

I opened my eyes, slowly for I was afraid of what reality had in stored for me. Blinking twice for my vision to focus, I saw that my room was identical as when I had come in. Though it was the same, I was sure that something was different. It finally set in that the difference was me – in the outside and inside.

My whole body was stiff from sitting in my bed for hours no matter how soft and comfortable it was. I looked at my alarm clock to find that it was 6:30a.m. Glancing out of my window, I could barely see anything from the darkness that surrounded me. I got up with a sigh and looked at my reflection from my vanity mirror. It seemed that my appearance was not as terrible as I had thought. My eyes were red and puffy from all the tears that I had shed – which I had expected – and my hair was ragged. Those two were easily fixed with make-up and a brush, but I knew that the dullness from my eyes was not. I took a deep breath and exhaled as a way to compose myself.

My father, Charlie Swan, was not at home. He had gone to Harry Clearwater's house, along with Billy Black, to watch a football game. I'm assuming that he had passed out on Harry's couch because they like to drink while watching the game. Therefore, to me, it was a good thing he was not home. Plus, he will be home around 5p.m. which will give me enough time to do the things I need to do without any hindrance.

I opened my door and tiptoed to the bathroom across the hallway. When I had safely reached it, switched on the lights, and had closed the door, I glanced at the woman staring at me, and looked away. As I was washing my face, I thought of ways how my family and friends would react when they would find out, especially his reaction. I then pushed the thought aside because I was making myself depressed. After washing my face and brushing my teeth, I turned off the lights as I closed the door.

Instead of walking back to my room, I headed towards the stairs for the kitchen. Unfortunately, since I was such a danger magnet and a major klutz - not to mention that it was dark - I tripped on the stairs, landing with a big thud on my head. Getting up, I rubbed my head slowly, easing the pain. I felt my cell phone in my pocket as I straightened myself out. Flipping it on, I had a small light to guide me through the darkness.

Turning right from the stairs, I looked for the light switch attached on the wall. When I had switched on the lights and put my mobile safely into my pocket, I was blinded for a minute because of the light that my eyes were not used to. I blinked a few times before my eyes finally adjusted. Just then, my stomach growled loudly, telling me it was time for breakfast. I complied and took the eggs, cheese, mushrooms, and butter from the refrigerator. Taking a pan from the cabinet, I set it on medium heat and coated it with butter. A few minutes later, my scrambled eggs were cooked.

I went to the dining room and sat down on the head chair that my father would normally sit in. I ate slowly, letting myself sink into my 19 years of memories. When I finished the last piece of the eggs, I washed the dishes.

As I put the cup in the cupboard, I sighed and looked out of the kitchen window, still reminiscing. I remembered when my father taught me baseball, how I was so frustrated that I was not able to hit the ball, and how happy I was when I finally did. Then the time when E-…

I shook my head. _No, I will not think about him_, I thought to myself. Drying my hands with a dishtowel, I walked back upstairs to my room. By then, I realized that my tear ducts were still working because my vision was blurring. I wiped the falling tears with the back of my hand. Going to my study desk, I reached into my drawer to get a stationary note. It was time for me to put my feelings and explanations on paper, in the form of a letter. Correction: In the form of three letters to the three people I dearly love.

I had probably sat down in that chair for hours because as I had finished my last letter, the letter I was going to give to my father, it was not the ebony sky I saw when I had woken up; instead it was a clear sky with a hint of orange. I looked at it, wondering if I would ever see the same scene again. My throat started closing up and once again my eyes were filled with tears.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I shook my head, trying my best to snap out of it. _No, I will not cry. I will not cry. I will not cry,_ I thought to myself.

I wiped the remaining tears on my face with both of my hands while sniffing. Getting up from my seat, I went back to the bathroom to take a shower. The hot water felt amazing as it reached my body, easing the tension in my muscles. This was one of the most difficult decisions I had to face in my entire life. But no matter how hard it was, I was determined to follow through the plan.

I opened the shower curtains and stepped out of the tub. Wrapping the towel on my body, I opened the door to go in my closet and take out the clothing I had decided to wear the day before. Quickly dressing in my skinny jeans and a purple turtleneck sweater with a big black belt to cover the torso area, I applied my usual make-up – foundation, eyeliner, mascara, and lip-gloss. Then going back to my wardrobe, I took out my black flats and slipped it on my feet.

I was trying to steal more time for myself - to spend more time in the house that I grew up in since I was twelve. However, at the same time, I tried to rush my movements in fear of being caught. Until at last, I could not put the packing off anymore.

Opening my wardrobe, I took out my two suitcases that I had prepared a week before. They were invisible because of the clothes that hid them. Dragging the bigger suitcase, that came from Louis Vuitton, to my bed, I unzipped it to find some of my clothes neatly placed inside. Going back to my closet, I took off the remaining clothes that hung on hangers, and stuffed them in the suitcase neatly folded.

Seeing that the luggage was filled, I zipped it closed once again and carried it off my bed, placing it next to the awaiting medium sized one. I repeated the same step that I had done to the previous luggage. Instead of putting my clothing, I took my accessories from one of the drawers and put it in the pocket inside. Then I took two pairs of my shoes that I knew I would need in the cold weather of the eastern hemisphere. I positioned the suitcase off my bed, placed it next to the Louis V luggage, and went back to my closet to get the black duffle Coach luggage that already had contents inside.

I then snatched my white Coach satchel tote bag from the other end of my bed. Taking a peek inside, I began to list what I already had: passport – check; airplane tickets – check; make-up kit – check; wallet – check; emergency cash money – check; directions and key to the apartment – check; and Wuthering Heights book for entertainment – check. It seemed that I had everything.

I looked at my right wrist to find that my watch was not there. Seeing it on top of my desk, I seized and put it on. Looking at the time, it was already noon; it was time for me to hit the road.

Taking my duffle bag, I laid it on top of my Louis V luggage and dragged it down the stairs, to the front of the door. I repeated the same step with my other Louis V baggage.

On the way down, I tried to tell myself that I had made the right decision and that it was time to have my freedom. _I mean, everyone has to get their independence sometime soon, right?_ I asked myself.

I walked back up the stairs to get my bag, laptop, and the three letters I had written. As I was about to turn my back on the room that held my precious memories, I looked at it. Not wanting to cry anymore, I rushed out of the room and down the stairs. Biting my lower lip as a way for me not to cry when I reached the last step.

When I had reached the living room table to lay my three letters on top, tears had steamed down my face. I let my hand linger on the letters and then went to door. By then, I was sobbing, sniffing as I took the luggage, which had the duffel bag on top.

Opening the door and getting my keys out of my bag, I unlocked my Ferrari car and opened the trunk. I then put my duffel bag and luggage inside the trunk and went back to get the other luggage to put in the trunk as well. When I did, I went back to the house to have my last look of the place that I grew up in. And as usual, I was sobbing my heart out – trying to not make a noise yet failing.

I stood outside the opened door closing it slowly as my heart closed and shattered into a million pieces. Getting inside of my car, I put my bag in the front passenger seat and sped out of the driveway and onto the main road.

Watching my house disappear in my rear-view mirror was the most heart-wrenching memory I could ever have. And one last tear dropped down my face as the new me awakened and took over – leaving the old me in the out-of-sight house.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Three Years Later – May 14, 2010**

Tonight i'll be your naughty girl  
I'm callin all my girls  
We're gonna turn this party out  
I know you want my body  
Tonight i'll be your naughty girl  
I'm callin all my girls  
I see you look me up and down  
And i came to party

You're so sexy, tonight i am all yours boy  
The way your body moves across the floor  
You got me feelin n-a-s-t-y  
I just might take you home with me

I reached over my phone with my eyes half closed. Taking my Palm Pre-Plus in my hand, I answered the call.

"Hello?" I asked sleepily.

"Morning, sunshine!" The feminine voice chirped. I slowly got up and looked at the caller ID. Sure enough, it was Rosalie Hale that had awakened me from my slumber.

I had my hand to my right temple because my head had begun to hurt. As I tried to scrub my eyes to become more awake, I felt a liquid going down my face. I touched the liquid with my hands and looked at my hand. I was crying.

"Hello? Earth to Bella!" she said in an impatient voice. I shut my eyes and opened them again.

"Yes, Rose. I'm listening."

"Good. As I was saying, meet me at Starbucks for our morning ritual - say around an hour from now?" I knew Rosalie well enough to know that something good had happened.

"Can't you tell me now?"I asked, half-annoyed. I did not feel like getting up from my comfortable bed. Unfortunately, Rosalie did not detect a hint of me being annoyed, or if she did, she pretended not to.

"Nope! I've got to tell you in person!" I rolled my eyes at her cheeriness in the bright and chilled morning of Manhattan, New York.

"Ugh! Fine. Meet you in an hour."

"Great! Kisses," she said as she hung up on me.

I sat on my bed for a few more minutes before finally submitting to the idea I had to get my butt off the bed to meet Rose. Just before entering the bathroom of my two-bedroom apartment, I looked at my calendar that was near my study desk.

No wonder I had that dream about that day; the day when I had left Forks, Washington to move here in Manhattan, New York. Has it really been three years? I asked myself. I shook my head. This was not the time to reminisce in the past I swore to myself I would forget. Looking at the clock attached to the wall, it seemed like I needed to hurry to meet Rosalie. _This is going to be a long day_, I thought.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

_Hi fans! Did you like this first chapter?_

_Well, if you did, remember to review so that it will motivate me to write faster._

_Also, would you guys want me to have a blog where I can post up teasers, story plot-lines, and etc?_

_Tell me your comments by reviewing, alright? =]_

_- Antevorte  
_


	3. Chapter 2: News, Antiques & Children

**A/N: **_  
Here's the chapter. Once again, I would like to apologize for the extreme delay of this one.  
I am currently dividing my life between school life, social life, and writing TIAW & DM. _  
_As a side note, I would really really really LOVE IT if more people would review.  
'Please update soon' , 'Keep going. I love it. Can't wait for the next chapter' or other comments you might have will be very much appreciated 3_

_xx_

_Antevorte_

_

* * *

_Truth Is A Whisper  
Chapter 2 – News, Antiques & Children

Parking my car, I could see Rosalie looking like a goddess in the window. She wore her shredded pencil jeans with a cosmo pink front tee, topping it off with her black multi-buckle sandal. Her luscious, wavy blonde hair was down, but not in her face, in a messy sort of hairstyle. Sighing, I got out of the car and looked at my reflection in the window. Compared to her, I was plain – even with the clothing and accessories she had bought for me: the embellished cargo green tunic dress, bronze braided wedge sandal, brown gathered hobo, and black plastic-trim sunglasses.

I met Rosalie Hale three years ago at Barnes & Noble. We were both on the magazine section with a magazine in our hands. In her hand was a Cosmo magazine while I was reading Glamour. My phone had rang and I had dropped the magazine while answering a call that I had gotten from Emmett, my half-brother. Emmett was telling me to meet him at Chevalier Anglais – a place that I did not know the way. Rosalie, who had overheard the conversation, volunteered to show me to the meeting place. We had talked on the way there and we clicked. When we got to the place I was suppose to meet Emmett, she and Emmett fell in love. Ever since then, they have been together.

Rosalie was beautiful and the envy of every girl. When I had first met her, I was extremely jealous. I told her that and she laughed at me. She told me that beauty was in every girl – it just depends on whether you are willing to use it or not. She then started to 'fix' me. She and I went shopping for clothes that would look good on me and taught me the proper use of make-up. There are still times were I'm green with envy, but not as much as before I had gotten to know her.

With a flip of my hair, I started walking towards the café. Holding the handle, I pulled the door open and entered. Rosalie saw me as I walked towards her. Her face immediately lit up with joy. I narrowed my eyes at her as I sat across from her.

"You are extremely lucky that you are my best friend because otherwise I would have not showed up at all and continued sleeping." I took the cup that was already set in front of me. _At least she already ordered my favorite_, I thought.

"I know Bella. But you are going to really like my news," she giggled. I rolled my eyes and lowered the cup on the table. "Emmett and I…. are…. ENGAGED!" My eyes opened wide.

"What!" I said in disbelief. A big grin was plastered on her face as she nodded excitedly.

"Uh-huh! I know! I couldn't believe it at first. I felt like I was dreaming, and when I realized I wasn't, I knew that I had to call you to let you know."

"Oh my gosh, Rose. I'm so happy for you!" I said as I clasped her hands in mine. I was sure that I had the same grin stuck to my face like hers.

"Thanks, sweetie."

I truly was happy for her. She and Emmett definitely deserved each other. They may be one of those couples that people might think that their relationship was purely physical, but it's because their love ran extremely deep. It's so deep that they just have to display their affection in public and in private. It's a bit confusing, but I suppose that just means that I don't understand their love for one another.

"Bella?" she asked, her head tilted to the side copying me from when I do a similar position. I shook my head, trying to get back in reality. I grinned.

"You and I are going to be sisters!" She nodded.

"I know. About time to huh?" She grinned back. I giggled while nodding. "But, Bella there's something else that I have to tell you." Her voice was serious, which made me think that something terrible has occurred. I leaned forward, looking at her oceanic eyes, waiting to hear the other part of the news.

"Bella, do you want to be my…maid of honor?" My jaw dropped and my eyes widen. My mouth moved but no words came out. I then let out a loud squeal and nodded my head vigorously.

"I'd love to!" I said as soon as I could find words again. Rosalie's eyes gleamed with happiness. She gave me one of her rarest smiles that she only shows when she truly was happy. Getting up from her chair, she hugged me.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" she screamed while practically jumping up and down. I chuckled at her response and movement as she sat back down to her seat. I sipped on my green tea latte as I gave her a questioning look.

"What did you think I was going to say?" She took a sipped of her French vanilla cappuccino before answering.

"Well…I thought that you might've turned me down," she whispered the last three words. I looked at her, shocked showing in my eyes.

"Rose, I would never…"

She sighed. "Yes, I know. I just thought that because I know you aren't really much of a party person – let alone a wedding…" I slapped her arm.

"Honestly, Rose, sometimes you could be such an…" She put her finger on my mouth – telling me not to say anymore. I smiled as she removed her finger.

"Want to go shopping? You know, ordinary clothes – not wedding ones." I made an apologetic face.

"I'd love to, but maybe tomorrow. I already have other plans. Plus, I have a deadline due the day after tomorrow." I looked at my watch and noticed the time. "In fact, I have to get going. I still have to meet Melinda at her store. I promised to help her sort out some of the new antiques she got a week ago."

Rosalie sighed and nodded. "Well, if you must, you must. I'll see you tomorrow?" I nodded and gathered my stuff. I kissed her on both cheeks, and she did the same.

I looked at her questioningly. "Are you staying here?" She nodded and sipped her cappuccino.

"For a few more minutes, and then I'll go shopping and meet Emmett back in the apartment." I nodded and waved to her as I pushed the Starbucks door opened. I put my sunglasses since the sun had decided to come out and play.

Unlocking my Audi S6, I put my bag in the passenger seat while putting the latte in the cup holder. Getting inside the car, I turned on the ignition and slowly left the parking lot. As I made a right, I put my Debussy CD in the CD player since I'm one of those people who prefer to not ride in silence. No matter how long or how short the ride would be.

It wasn't long before I saw the russet antique store that was owned by my good friend, Melinda Gordon. Melinda had moved here from Los Angeles, California because her husband, Jeff, had a job transfer. At first, she wasn't used to the glamour life of New York. She had grown up in London, England. Moving to America was the biggest decision she had made.

When her then roommate had gotten hospitalized, she met Jeff who was visiting his mother. I guess one thing led to another. Before you knew it, they were in love, engaged, and finally married. They were really compatible with each other and suitabld one another well.

I actually met Melinda through Rosalie. Rosalie was living in the same apartment building as she was before she got married. We were at Saphora buying make-up when Melinda noticed Rosalie. They talked for a bit and then Rosalie introduced me. In some ways, Melinda and I were alike – maybe that's why we hit it off so well.

Then, three weeks ago, Melinda had told me she opened her very own antique shop. Apparently, she just liked them because they were from the past and held a great deal of memory. Well, I told her I could help if she could just do me a little favor – which she did. So, now, it's my turn to help her.

I parked my car behind her store. Getting my bag and latte, I entered through the back door with a key. I went to her office to find that she was not there. Hearing her voice, I deducted that she was talking on the phone near the cashier. Heading over there, I dropped my hobo bag on the chair facing Melinda's desk along the way.

As I saw her mouse-colored hair, she turned to face me and smiled. She mouthed 'hey' in my direction, and I waved in return. Walking towards the pile of documents she had been searching through, I put my latte down on the table and began looking over them.

Melinda said her goodbye to the person on the phone but promised she would try to find it. I assumed that the person was a customer wanting a certain antique. _That explains why these documents are way too disorganized_, I thought.

"Hey," she said as she hugged me.

"Hey. Who was that on the phone?"

She sighed. "This lady wanted to find a certain antique in three days time. I remembered having read a document with a picture attached to it that we had the item here, but I just can't find it."

I gave her a one-arm hugged. Reassuring her, I said, "Don't worry, we'll find it." Changing the subject, I said casually, "By the way, where are the new items you recently received from so the lady who had called the day before yesterday?" She nodded her head towards the boxes near the entrance.

Walking forward to where it sat, I looked at the labels on the front. _How odd_, I thought. Melinda broke my thoughts.

"Want to start documenting, taking pictures, and all that hard work so we don't have to do it later?" I nodded and she came to where I was. I took the scissors from her hand and opened the packages one by one.

Two hours passed by quickly. During that time, Melinda had documented the details of each antique and I had taken pictures to post it on the website. I also made a trip to the public storage to store away the new antiques safely. After I had gotten back, we had a small break where we caught up to what each of us had been doing lately.

"Oh my gosh, yes! I remember Mike Newton. He had a major crush on you didn't he?" she said teasingly. I rolled my eyes, groaning inwardly. Mike. The name alone made me want to purge.

"Yes. And I'd rather not talk about _him_."

Melinda chuckled but obeyed my wishes. We changed to a lighter topic until I had looked at the clock. I gasped.

"Sorry Mel, as much as I love to chat with you, I've got to get going. I have to pick up someone." I shoot her an apologetic look and gathered my stuff. She nodded, understanding.

"Sure thing, hon. Are you coming tomorrow?" I bit my lower lip; a bad habit of mine from the past.

As we left the comfort of the couch and walked towards the back door, I replied,

"Uh…maybe. I have to see since I have a deadline due. I'll try though." I grabbed my keys from my bag and unlocked my car.

"Don't worry about it. You've helped me so much already," she said as I climbed on the driver seat. I smiled.

"I'll still try." She chuckled at my response and closed my door. I rolled open the window to hear her response.

"Alright. But, I'd rather you stay at home and spent some quality time with…"

"Yes, I know. I'll see you tomorrow," I interrupted, and she nodded.

Backing away from the parking space, I waved to her as she retreated to her store and I left the parking lot. I could feel my phone vibrate

Debussy started to play while my phone vibrated. Instead of checking who had called, I kept on driving. I looked at the time again and cursed myself. _I can't be late again_, I thought.

Finally reaching my destination, I sighed in relief. I had made it just in time. I parked my car in front of the place. Locking my car, I opened the gate that led to the front yard. I could hear voices inside so I entered without permission – not that it had really mattered.

I noticed that the voices came from the living room. I peaked in and sure enough, I had been right. The kids noticed me immediately. Grace and Amber, the supervisors, turned their heads and smiled.

"Bella! Glad you made it on time," Grace chuckled in her semi-deep voice. The children rushed up to me and greeted me with their smiles and hugs. I stooped and hugged them back, fondling over their cuteness.

"Yes, Bella. It would be the first. About time too," Amber chirped teasingly. I giggled.

"Yes, yes. I know."

As I stood up, a girl with a light brown hair and emerald eyes with specks of brown hugged me with all the strength she was able to muster. I laughed and carried her until we were eye to eye.

"Well, hello to you too, Renesmee." Her laughter rang in my ears. She hugged me once again before looking into my chocolate orbs.

"Hiya, Mama!"


	4. Chapter 3: Nate the Angel

_Sorry for the extreme delay of this one.  
As you know, lots of things happened {losing all of my data}.  
Nevertheless, I was able to overcome it by presenting to you with this chapter!  
So now, I'll get out of your way. See you at the end!  
*backs away slowly as a mob of fans rush in*_

_

* * *

_Truth Is A Whisper – Chapter 3: Nate the Angel

"How are you doing on this fine day?" Bella asked Renesmee as she carried her. Renesmee put her arms around the young brunette's neck.

"I'm fwine." Bella laughed at her adorable voice. Immediately embarrassed, the bubbly child hid her face in the mahogany hair. Grace and Amber laughed along with her.

Amber gently poked Renesmee's back and said with a teasing voice. "Aw. Are you embarrassed Nessie darling?" Grace shook her head, disapproving of Amber's actions, though a small smile was forming on her lips.

"Amber, don't tease Renesmee like that. You know how she gets when she becomes embarrassed, especially if you call her by that nickname."

Amber chuckled at the memory of how Renesmee was nicknamed after The Loch Ness Monster. It had all happened when Emmett had arrived to pick her up when they were in the middle of playing monsters. The bulky man had always complained that the young child's name was too long to be pronounced, thus she had needed a shorter name – a nickname. Because the children were acting as if they were monsters, it had reminded Emmett of a movie he had watched several times. The name of the monster was similar to the ash blonde's name. Just then, as Renesmee ran past Emmett, Grace called the little girl's name. The pondering man was not paying attention so when the jet black woman called her name, all he heard was 'Renesee.'

After saying that name a few times, he remembered the monster's name – 'Nessie.' Since then, the name stuck, and everyone has called her by that nickname. Of course, at first Renesmee was not happy with the nickname her 'uncle' had chosen for her. But, as more people began to call her by that name, she gradually became used to it.

Nessie squeezed Bella so hard that it was almost hard to breathe. _So the princess wants to be saved, huh?_ she thought. Though she found it amusing, she obeyed the little princess request.

"Alright, both of you, that's enough. I think you've teased her way too much." All three women laughed again, and Nessie's cheeks became redder and buried her face deeper into Bella's hair.

"Mwommy?" a child with light brown hair asked Bella. She looked at him and grinned.

"Hey sweetheart." Putting Renesmee back on solid ground, she hugged him. "Ready to go home, Nate?"

Nathaniel, who is more often referred to as Nate by his closest friends and family, nodded vigorously. His hazelnut eyes danced in excitement at the thought of finally being able to go home. Bella smiled the kind of smile a mother reserved to her offspring. Then again, he is her son.

Amber gave Bella Nate's Spider-Man backpack, which was very light. The pack held only a few things such as a coloring book, a pencil case that has crayons, pencils, and an eraser. It also had an empty container with a plastic fork. Bella smiled express her gratitude to Amber, and put the pack on her shoulder.

"Wait, mwommy," Nate said, hurrying away to his desk. Taking a piece of white paper that had a colorful picture on it and giving it to his mother as he grinned. "Hwere. Itch for you."

The paper had colorful lines that Bella was sure represented something or someone. The picture had a big yellow spot on the left corner that was similar to a sun. There were blue lines that seemed to be clouds. Bella looked closely and was able to make out two faces.

"Itch chu and me," Nate said shyly. He ducked his head so his bangs would fall over his eyes.

"Thank you, Natie! It's very beautiful." Bella smiled proudly at her son and hugged him.

"It's true. You could be a great artist," Grace complimented. Mother and child beamed at the compliment.

"Yesh. Itch weally gweat," Renesmee added. Nate smiled and went to give her a hug. She hugged him in return and clung onto Bella's leg.

"Thank you, Nessie. That's really kind of you to say that," Bella said as she put her arms around the small figure.

Renesmee blushed and muttered, "No pwebwom."

Giving her a last squeeze, Bella addressed the two other women. "Thanks, Grace and Amber, for today. We'll be back tomorrow because we have other things to do." The two caretakers nodded their heads and took turns hugging Bella and Nate. Then Renesmee hugged each of them before gripping Bella's dress tightly.

"She's really attached to you," Amber whispered as she took Renesmee's hands off of Bella. Bella smiled slightly.

Bella crouched down to be at eye level with the clingy girl. "We'll see each other during dinner today, okay?" Nate nodded in agreement. Renesmee sniffled and nodded before going to a group of children on the other side of the room.

The mother and son left the daycare and got into her Audi. Bella buckled Nate in before sliding in the driver's seat. Looking at the rearview mirror to see Nate, she asked if he wanted to play a bit before returning home. It took awhile before the young boy answered that he wished to go play in the park.

"Alright, but we have to make it quick since I have a deadline due today. We also have to go change our clothes and go over to Renesmee's place for dinner. Okay?"

Nate's chestnut hair blew as the wind blew inside the car. He nodded, understanding. Bella smiled and closed the window before turning on the air conditioner.

When they had reached the Greenfield Park, Bella noticed that there were no more spaces in the parking lot. She had no choice but to park three blocks away. The two then walked from their car to the playground. Bella held onto Nate's hand tightly, afraid that she might lose him in the crowd.

As they reached the kid's playground, Nate immediately ran for the swings. Bella sat on the green bench in front of the swings to watch Nate carefully. She saw that her son was having trouble swinging by himself.

"Mommy, help?"

Always ready to lend a helping hand, Bella went behind Nate and began to push him gently. Nate laughed, enjoying the wind in his face. He cried for Bella to push him faster and higher. Bella obeyed the while his joyful laugh rang in her ears and warmed her heart.

Thirty minutes later, Nate with his hazelnut eyes and crooked grin, has played on the swings, see saw, slide, and monkey bars. His playmate of a mother was tired. Even though she was, she continued to play with him because it was one of their bonding moments. Unfortunately, her phone rang to remind her of her deadline, which meant that they had to go home.

"But mwommy, we hawen't been ew long 'nuff," complained Nate from the top of the yellow slide. Bella gave him her stern look. "Okay, we go now." He slid down from the slide and landed in front of Bella. He put on his jacket and pouted.

Bella inspected his appearance. She "tsked," not liking the way he was filthy by having dirt on his face and shirt. She took him to the women's restroom to clean him up with the wet napkins she had gotten from her bag.

_I hate being tweated like a kid,_ Nate thought to himself. He scrunched his face to show that he was not at all happy when Bella started to clean his face.

"Mwommy, I'm fwine!" he said, exasperated, as he pushed Bella's hands away from his face after a few minutes. Bella gave him a stern, disapproving look before her face softened.

"Alright, you don't look as bad as before. But, do change into this shirt since you're all sweaty from all that running around."

Nate complied with Bella as she helped him get out of his Rocawear splash polo in exchange for his splattered old English tee. Bella looked at him and smiled. She then began to fix her hair by pulling it to one side and securing it into a braid.

As she finished styling her hair, she said, "Much better. Oh wait, let me fix your hair." She reached towards his light brown hair. Nate ducked just as her hand was almost touching his hair.

"Mommy, don't! I wike my hair messhy," he said aggressively. His eyes were semi-glaring at Bella's own chocolate orbs. Bella, however, found it a bit funny, so she giggled.

"You're just like your…" she trailed off as she noticed Nate's curious gaze. _Honestly Bella you've got to be more careful!_ she scolded herself mentally.

The day she had given birth to Nate, Bella sworn to herself that she would not include his father in their lives. She would not speak about him or contact him, and she asked her friends to do the same. "It would not do any good for my child to bring up the forgotten past," she had told Emmett in the hospital after giving life to her angel.

"Let's go, okay?" Bella said, changing the topic.

Nate looked at his mother before nodding and putting his black cap on his head. It seemed odd to him that whenever his mother would reach the topic of his father, she would stop her train of thought. He had no idea why they were not allowed to talk about him. Whenever he tried to know about his father, she would hastily change the subject. Nate was sure that he was alive, but he just didn't know his exact location or why he was not in his life.

They gathered their stuff. As they left the park, Nate was still in deep thought. Bella noticed her son's faraway eyes and wondered what could be going on his little head. Unconsciously, she began humming a melody that Nate was familiar with. He had heard the song many times whenever his mother was tucking him in for bed or when she wants peace. He smiled to himself before practicing the tune with his left hand on an imaginary piano since his mother was holding his right hand.

"Wow. I can tell you've been practicing," Bella commented and grinned appreciatively at her son.

Nate ducked his head, hiding his blush unsuccessfully. His mother giggled before noticing the redness of his cheeks. The traffic light turned red and they stopped walking.

"It's alright, you know. It means you really want to play that song on the piano."

Seconds passed by before Nate spoke up.

"Itch not datch mommy. I want chu pway it for yuu."

**Bella POV**

The light finally turned green, enabling us to cross the road. But I didn't walk. Nate took two steps in front of me before turning around, realizing I wasn't walking with him. He tilted his head and look at me with those hazelnut eyes that made my heart melt. The adorable expression that he had was equivalent to _his_ crooked grin.

What my young child had said circulated in my mind, and I smiled a tearful smile. Squeezing my hand, he came up to me.

"Whatch wong mwommy?"

I smiled before answering and walking again. He followed behind me. "Nothing, sweetie. What you just said made me proud and happy that you are my son."

He looked confused before grinning, a grin that was becoming more and more similar to _his_ crooked grin. He was showing his pearly white teeth that shone brightly in the sun. In turn, I smiled at him. A breeze gently swayed my loose ends. I stopped walking and squeezed my eyes shut, so as to not get dirt in them. Tucking my loose ends, I slowly opened my eyes. As I turned my face to the right side, I noticed two people amongst the crowd.

They were sitting on a black bench on the sidewalk. _His _attention was directly on me. The emerald eyes I had not seen for almost three years showed two emotions that betrayed his feelings: shock and agony. I saw a third expression that quickly left his face.

A person bumped into me. But all I could think about was why. Why had he shown his face? I was finally happy. I was finally forgetting the past to embrace the present. _Why did he have to show his face here of all places? Why!_ I screamed internally to myself.

Our eyes pierced one another. We were locked in a heated look. _He_ broke our contact to glance at the companion next to him. He wasn't alone apparently. _She_ was with him like always. She held my eyes and a hurt expression came to her face.

She whispered something that looked like she said my name. I responded unconsciously.

"Alice."

* * *

_So? Did you like it...hate it?  
Well, let me know when you review!  
Also, I hope to read some constructive criticism.  
Honestly, I don't bite and it won't hurt my feelings x3_

_Dear Mnemosyne will be updated next.  
Can't wait to see you there!_

_xx  
Antevorte  
_

_P.S Would anyone like to create a banner for Dear Mnemosyne? If you're interested, let me know by contacting me. Thanks!  
_


	5. Chapter 4: Expect the Unexpected

_Hey y'll! Here's chapter 4 ~ *throws confetti* YAY!  
There's an IMPORTANT message at the bottom, so see ya there!_

* * *

Truth Is A Whisper: Chapter 4 – Expect the Unexpected

**Bella's POV  
**

The ride back to the penthouse was quiet. I didn't dare say a word, fearing that what I had actually seen was real when I was trying to convince myself otherwise. I kept chanting _They weren't there...They weren't there…They weren't there,_ in my , as I parked the car in the garage of our building, I knew that words of reassurance wouldn't matter. They were there. They saw me, and I saw them. The only question was if they saw who I was with.

"Mwommy, who were dos peepil?" I froze. Many excuses ran through my mind. _How was I supposed to explain to my three-year-old son that we just saw his father and aunt?_ I asked myself. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to calm myself before answering the dreaded question.

"They were…are…um… friends of mine."

I'm a coward, an absolute coward for not telling my son the truth. I know that he needs to know, but I can't bear to tell him just yet. I need more time. More time to be able to sort things out.

"Oh. Why dwidn't we say ello?" I bit my lip. I've always known that my son was a curious toddler about everything and always asks questions, but why must he ask the questions that I don't have an answer for?

"That's because we have things to do, and I can always just catch up with them later." I bit my tongue after I said that. I'm lying to my own son. Lying was one of the traits that I engraved in his mind to never do, yet I'm doing it to him. God, I'm such a hypocrite.

"I've never mwet them bwefore," he pondered out loud.

"That doesn't matter," I snapped, then gasped. I unbuckled my seatbelt and turned to face him to see that his eyes were round and wide. Sighing, I said, "I'm sorry, sweetie. I'm just…just tired." He nodded silently, as if knowing that I wished for the subject to be dropped. I smiled ruefully at him, turned the engine off and opened the door after getting my bag and cell phone. I opened the door for Nate who unbuckled himself and took his pack that was now resting upon his right shoulder.

He wound his chubby little fingers into the hand that I held out to him. We walked towards the elevator, but not before passing Alan, one of the many guards that secure the place.

"Why, hello, Miss Swan and young sir!" he said, referring to my son and I.

"Hello, Alan." I pressed the button to call for the elevator and wished that it would hurry up since I was not in the mood for small talk. Unfortunately, Alan didn't take notice or perhaps he just pretended not to.

"Hey lil fella." He patted Nate's head. Nate smiled at him, but did not say a word. "What's wrong? You sick or something?" Just then, I heard the elevator ding and saw the doors begin to open.

"No, he isn't. We're just in a rush. There are so many things to do, yet so little time to do them." I smiled at him and pressed the button for the thirteenth floor. As the door closed, I saw him nod slowly as if saying 'yeah-sure-but-there's-definitely-something-wrong.' I shook my head, not caring.

We entered the house. Nate took off his shoes before going to his room and slamming the door shut. _Smooth, Bella. You're having your only child be upset with you_. I followed my son's example by taking my shoes off and going to my room, but not slamming the door shut. I left it wide open, just in case he would like to come in.

I drew open the curtain near the flat-screen, put my hobo bag and Palm on one of my curved chairs, and flopped down on my bed. I blew some stray strands of my hair out of my face before looking at the flip clock that was sitting on my night stand. It was already three twenty-five, and I hadn't begun writing chapter seven of my new novel – _Identity_.

The plot-line of the fiction is that my heroine's mother, Vicki, works for a dangerous corporation. A corporation that had existed for many years called the Volturi. When mysterious information is leaked within the company, Vicki convinces her daughter, Mimi, to move in with her father in Washington. Mimi must then keep her identity a secret until her mother's company restores order. But, an unusual encounter with a green-eyed stranger leaves her more confused than ever. Soon he's all that she can think about. But, little does she know that the very friends Mimi is so hesitant to make are the very friends that have the most ties with her. As she goes along, she finds that keeping her identity a secret from the ones she loves is easier said than done.

According to my editor, this was the story that could make me the number one best seller since my other story, _Your Guardian Angel_, didn't make it as big as we had hoped. Though, the books did sell fast for an author's first novel. My editor, Shirley, doesn't intend to let me rest until I have finished completing the manuscript to be edited and released for publication.

With a big sigh, I got up from the comfortable bed and went to my white plexiglass desk where my recently purchased Apple Macbook/2.4GHz was waiting for me. I turned it on and navigated towards my documents to begin writing. I was immediately sucked into my dreamland, where time doesn't exist, and my only goal was to keep writing whatever popped into my mind.

_Knock knock!_

I heard the floor creak lightly near my bedroom door, but I didn't bother to look at who had entered because my mind instantly whispered, _Nate_. I continued to type while the presence roamed around my room before tugging on the end of my dress.

"Mwomma!" I saved what I had written so far, which was six pages long, before turning to look at him. "Twime to get weady."

Looking at the time, I became alarmed. It was already four thirty, and dinner was at five thirty. This barely left enough time to get ready and arrive at our destination on time and well presented. My 'writer mode' then switched over to 'mother mode' as I ushered Nate inside his room to get ready.

After taking out the clothes we had decided he would wear tonight from his wardrobe, I prepared the bath for him. After his bath, I clothed him and did a quick inspection before rushing into my room. Taking a quick shower, I took my dress from my walk-in closet and put it on. After drying my hair with a blow-dryer, I fluffed it and just left it as is because, frankly, I had no idea what to hairstyle I should do. I then applied my usual make up – foundation, eye-liner, mascara, and lip gloss. I grabbed my bag and keys from the chair I had placed them on and set them down on the marble countertop. Just as I was about to get him, Nate came out of his room.

"Are you ready, Nate?" I asked. He was wearing a white collared shirt with black vest and jeans. His black Converse were already on his feet, and I crouched down to tie it for him. He nodded at me before going towards the front door of our penthouse.

Looking at the clock in the kitchen, I was shocked to see that it was already past five. I grabbed my bag and keys from the marble counter and headed out the door with Nate following behind. We took an elevator before we reached parking lot number one.

"Going out, Miss Swan?" Alan asked me, while leaning against the counter he was behind. He grinned at me, and I smiled in return.

"Yes, we are. It's a family dinner."

"Ah, I see. Well, I hope you have fun Miss and young sir. Oh, and if you have any leftovers, I'm here twenty-four seven." He winked at Nate, who smiled at him.

"I'll be sure to remember that. But, then again, you know I always give you treats. Well, bye."

We walked to my car, and I unlocked the doors. Nate hopped in his car seat as I slid to into the driver's seat and started the engine. I looked behind me to see him already buckled in. I backed carefully out of the parking space and we left the parking lot to go into the streets of Manhattan. Before long, we had reached our destination: The Masen Manor.

As I parked my car on the driveway, right behind a white Toyota Corolla 2010, I noticed Renesmee running towards us. The clock read five-fifty as I got out of the car and opened the back door for Nate after he unbuckled himself.

"Hiya," Nessie chirped. She was a wearing a teal floral dress and white sandals that had a big white rose attached at the front.

"Hi, Nessie. You look radiant," I complimented her**,** since she didlook lovely. She beamed at me before taking my hand and Nate's and dragging us dragging us inside of the house, which was modeled after the Schroder-Schrader house.

Their house has never failed to amaze me when I come over. It wasn't exactly a manor, but that's what they called it. The house was, more or less, a square. The color of the house was white with glasses for the windows, and no curtains. But then again, there was no need since this was one of the most secure places here in Manhattan.

When we got inside, I was immediately pulled into a hug by Elizabeth Masen, the mother of Renesmee.

"Bella, darling! It's so good to finally see you. You look exquisite honey. And I'm so glad that you are able to make it today. Do you know how many times you have canceled on me? I was beginning to think that you were a non-existent human or worse, that you were avoiding me," she gushed.

She was wearing a one-shoulder dress that had small beads on the straps and a brown Stockholm apron on top of it. I smiled apologetically to her.

"I hope that we aren't too late," I said worriedly as we kissed each other's cheeks. She shook her head.

"Nonsense, dear. In fact, we aren't done with preparing the dinner yet. I'm sorry."

"No no, it's quite alright. I'm just glad that I was able to attend, since we haven't seen you lately. I've been very busy with my new book and all." She gave me a smile that meant she understood.

"No problem dearie. I'm just glad that you made it!" She turned her attention to Nate. "How is my little Natie? You've grown! And your hair is way too long. Don't you want to cut it? I'll cut it for you if you want. You know most people say I could be a beautician!"

Liz ushered us in as Nate spoke up. "Uh.. no tchank chu. I wike my hair long." But before she could respond, we reached the living room where Emmett had taken notice of our arrival.

"Hey, Bells. Glad you made it!"

He was in front of the sixty-inch flat screen TV, watching a football game. He was wearing a white Hollister t-shirt that had the word 'Hollister' printed in bold letters with palm trees in the background, along with his black jeans that we had bought together about a month ago and his red Converse. Nate, who adored his uncle, immediately ran to join him. Emmett ruffled his hair and looked at me expectantly.

"Hey, Em. Glad to see you too."

He patted the seat next to him. "Well, come on! Sit with me and watch the football game, yeah?" I smiled at him while shaking my head.

"He has been watching football since he and Rosie got here," Liz told me.

"Well, heck yeah, Liz. This is football we're talking about. I couldn't miss this for the world."All three of us laughed. Liz shook her head before excusing herself to check on tonight's menu.

He patted the seat next to him. "Well, come on! Sit with me and watch the football game, yeah?" He repeated. I smiled at him while shaking my head.

"No, thanks. I think I'll go help Liz and Rose prepare dinner." Just as I turned, I heard Rosalie's voice.

"Bella!" She gave me a hug and inspected my clothes. "I didn't think that you would make it! By the way, I like your outfit. You look adorable." My outfit, which was a yellow short one-shoulder dress, was nothing compared to her layered sequined dress that had a delicate bow to accentuate her waist line. Though she had on a text-tile apron, she still looked stunning.

"Thanks. I like yours too. You look stunning, by the way, but I bet you already knew that." We both laughed.

"So what's on today's menu? Don't tell me Liz went over the top again."

"Well, let's see, the menu includes fettuccini, Caesar salad, ravioli, and steak. For dessert we have chocolate soufflé, crème _brulée__,_ and a choice of chocolate or vanilla ice cream. So, yes, she did go over the top."

"Yum! It sounds divine." Rosalie chuckled at my response.

"Well, Elizabeth thought that maybe if she cooked some of your favorites she could lure you out of your little den."

"She thought right," I responded while nodding, and we both fell into laughter once again.

We headed towards the kitchen where the delicious smell was coming from. Rosalie handed me a tea-and-crumpet apron, which I put on. Before I was able to ask Rosalie what I should work on, Liz spoke.

"Okay. Bella, can you please make the Caesar salad?" I nodded. "Rose go look at the sauce for the fettuccine. I'm pretty sure it's done. I didn't think it would take _this_ long to be able to cook all of your favorites, Bells."

I giggled as I took the lettuce from the fridge and set it on top of the sky blue cutting board. I began slicing it as I spoke. "This is why you should always plan ahead, huh Liz?" Rose and Liz laughed.

We continued to cook while chatting. Occasionally, Nate and Renesmee would come in, checking in and asking if the food was ready. Each time they inquired about the food, we would always reply, "In a few minutes," simultaneously. When we finished preparing dinner, I checked the time. It had quickly passed because it was already seven.

"Looks like we're gonna have dinner late, sweetie," Liz whispered in my ear. I giggled and began pushing her inside the dining room.

"Edward, time to eat!" I called to Liz's husband. He glanced at me and smiled, putting out his cigar.

"About time, too. My belly just started growling." We chuckled while he rubbed his stomach, easing the gurgling.

We were all seated at the long dining room table with the food's fragrance teasing us while it sat on the middle. I was pretty sure that we were all drooling over the delicious spread as I could feel myself doing just that. I looked at Nate, who sat beside me, and he was staring at the staek. I didn't have to be a mind reader to be able to understand why.

Just as we were about to 'dig in,' a phrase that my brother had yelled as he sat and the children copied, the door bell rang. Liz excused herself to answer the call. As she left, I noticed that there were plates that laid out on the table that weren't necessary. I was just about to get up and take the excess plates away when Edward spoke.

"Bella, sit down." My face turned towards the head of the table where he occupied the seat with a confused expression showing on my face.

_How had he known that I wanted to get up? Were there more guests coming that I did not know that about?_ I thought to myself. I glanced in front of me, where Rosalie sat, and mouthed, "Are there more guests coming?" As she was about to answer me, I heard footsteps coming our way and I gasped.

Slowly, as my heart thumped loudly against my ribs, I turned. There, a family of familiar faces stood with an unfamiliar wavy blonde-haired man. I looked at each of the faces, starting with those nearest to Liz, who had a 'sorry' expression on her face.

My brain ticked through their names. _Esme. Carlisle. Alice. Unfamiliar._ _Edward_. _Edward_, I thought. "Edward," I said aloud, not liking the way the pronunciation sounded foreign. All eyes turned to me, which is a situation that would normally leave a tint of pink upon my face. But, of course, this wasn't your normal situation. This was the kind that I had never expected or wanted to face. Right then and there, I had wanted to crawl into a hole and stay there. A voice broke my thoughts.

"Bella, it's nice to see you again…after all these years," a melodic voice said. I looked for the source and stared at her. _Alice._

_

* * *

_

_I said that Nessie's existence will be explain...but if you look at it. It's sort of explained. Hehe!_  
_Anyways, my important announcement...drum roll please..._  
_I'll be leaving the country for three weeks._  
_So, you can expect to not have any updates on either stories of mine. So SORRY!  
_

_Also, I've made a photobucket account to post my stories ;D  
_http: / bucket. com/ albums/zz84/ DaydreamerRaiishax3/ Truth%20Is% 20A%20 Whisper/  
_Just delete the space x)_

_xx_  
_Antevorte_

_P.S Add me on Twitter, yah? Antevorte_

REVIEW!

V


	6. Chapter 5: Today's Damage

_Hey Guys!  
I'm so sorry for the extremely late update.  
Hopefully it's going to be worth it._

_So without further ado... _

* * *

Truth Is A Whisper  
Chapter 5: Today's Damage

"It's been awhile, hasn't it?" I responded with the same tone as she had. She smirked, but before she could talk, Liz spoke up with a nervous, edgy voice.

"Let's...let's all sit down and eat, shall we?" She glanced nervously at Carlisle and Esme, who were unsure of what to do as well.

Quietly, they sat down in the vacant seats meant for them. I could feel Edward looking at me intently, waiting to see if I would even so much as a glance at him. I didn't, though it took every ounce of strength I had to muster not to, especially since he looked quite handsome in his light blue polo and suit.

Esme sat next to Nate, who smiled eagerly at her. She peeked over at me and gave me a shy smile, which I didn't return, so she ducked her head, probably scolding herself for being too forward. Carlisle was across from her and gave her a reassuring smile, though I was able to detect that it was forced. I think even he didn't know what to do with the situation we were currently in.

Alice, who sported a white, v-neck, lace dress, sat next to Esme; Edward settled himself across from her, and the unknown face sat on her other side. I wasn't able to look at Alice to read what she might possibly be thinking. But, I could see Edward's. He seemed to be looking at his sister, but I could tell that he wasn't. His eyes were a dark shade of cerulean, which I knew from experience meant he was troubled - very troubled. I turned to look at my plate just as he was snapping out of his thoughts. No doubt that Alice had kicked his shin since he jolted and shot her a confused look.

The table was silent. No one dared to speak, even the two children. They were looking around, probably wondering why an uncomfortable silence lingered. Rosalie and Emmett were looking straight at me. Rose threw me an apologetic expression which I returned with a cold, hard stare. Emmett was giving me an 'I'm-sorry-but-it's-going-to-be-okay' look. I rolled my eyes at his so-called reassurance and gave him my 'Are-you-a-retard?' and 'You-are-so-dead' looks. He gulped, and I smiled in satisfaction for a moment.

"Dig in, everyone!" Edward's voice boomed loudly at the head of the table. Liz reached out to give her daughter the fettuccine. I took the Caesar salad and began putting a pile on Nate's plate. As I did, he whispered to me, "Mwommy, who err thwey?"

I finished putting a small pile of salad on his plate that I knew he could finish and handed the bowl to Rosalie before whispering back, "Old friends. Finish your salad before getting anything else." His chestnut hair shook as he nodded and began eating, making "nom nom nom" noises as he did.

We took serving plates and put some food onto them. Minutes passed with no one making a sound except for the munching food and clinks of the utensils. I wasn't making any eye contact except for the two children beside me. Liz, who hates silence, leaned towards the table and spoke to Carlisle.

"How is work treating you, Carlisle? I hope you aren't working too much over time." Carlisle chuckled, but it was Esme who responded to the comment.

"Liz, you know how he is, and besides, many lives would be lost if he wasn't there. Just to be on vacation for this month took a lot of preparing. We were actually unsure if he was able to take so many days off. But, when we heard that Edward," she nodded towards her son, "would be here in New York for a photo shoot, I insisted on coming."

_Photo shoot_? I thought. _Ah… didn't Shirley say something about a model for JUNK coming here? Hm…_

"Ah, yes. Well, it's a good thing you're here. I forgot to introduce you to everyone. Please forgive me. This is Emmett, and that's Rosalie." The couple smiled at each of the Cullen members and said 'hello' and 'nice to meet you.' A conversation was then started between them. After a few minutes, Liz spoke to me, her eyes burning into mine.

"And how is your new novel coming, Bella? I can hardly wait for it." The table's chattering became quieter, and I froze with my fork halfway into my opened mouth. Slowly, I lowered the fork and looked straight at the person who spoke to me.

"It's going great. I'm already on chapter nine."

Esme interrupted, astonished at what she had just heard. "You're an author, Bella?" I turned to my right side, to look at the now astounded Cullen family.

"Yes, I am."

"Really? What's the title of the book you're writing?" Alice inquired. Instead of being the one to answer the question, the child next to me did it for me.

"Idwentwitwee." All eyes turned to my son. He turned to me, fettuccine sauce all over his mouth. "Isn't that right, mwommy?"

Silence. Honestly, I was getting fed up with all the silences, even if it was entertaining to see the reactions of my ex-second family. But I didn't show what I had been feeling, for I knew it wasn't the right moment, even if I was also petrified at the last word Nate said. Calmly, at least as calmly as I was able to be, taking my napkin from my thighs, I began wiping his mouth, freeing him from the sticky sauce.

"Yes, sweetie, it is." No one spoke, and I was able to feel how tense the people on my right side were.

"Bella's your mother?" Esme asked puzzled.

"Yesh, ma'am," Nate said, copying the same words that Emmett would use whenever someone ordered him to do something.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Nate," I reprimanded.

Alice mumbled something, and the man next to her looked at me and asked, "I've never heard your name...are you using a penname?" I was thankful that he had taken the chance to divert the subject into another topic, even if it would just be for a moment. Noting that aside, I was finally able to look at him. He might not be my type, but he did look quite dashing. His wavy, blonde hair went well with the cashmere suit and ocean-blue tie he was wearing.

Nodding, I said, "That's right, Mr…"

"Ah, sorry. I'm Jasper Whitlock, Alice's fiancé." _Fiancé_. The word alone burned my tongue, almost sending me back into the past. Fortunately, Liz spoke up.

"Bella, I thought you'd already met Jasper."

I shook my head. "No, I haven't. They must've met after…" _Shit!_ I cussed internally. I glanced over at Alice with her eyes hardened, and her cold blue eyes piercing against my secretive brown.

"That's right, Bella," her tone was cheerful, and she even had the ends of her mouth tugged upwards into a smile, but I knew it was fake, as the others did. "I met Jasper _after_ you vanished from Forks. I, of course, would have called you to let you know about the good news, but you left your cell at the house, so I had no way of reaching you. Knowing you, you probably did it on purpose." As she ended her speech, her voice went from being cheerful to seething in anger.

"Alice…" Carlisle hushed with a warning tone. Jasper's arm went around Alice's shoulder, but she shrugged it off and continued speaking what was buried deep inside of her for so many years. buried on her mind.

"You left with no trace whatsoever and with us not knowing if you were alive or dead. You left Charlie devastated, even to this day. Not only that, you also left Ed-"

"That's enough, Alice!" Edward yelled, knocking over the chair that he had risen from. Alice stood up as well, with the same volume as Edward's.

"No it isn't! Not by a fucking long shot!"

"Alice!" Esme gasped, looking at the two wide-eyed children next to me.

"Rose, take the kids upstairs. Now!" I commanded, and she rushed out of her seat to grab the two by the arms and pulled them upstairs. I knew that there would be a confrontation tonight when I saw them, but I didn't know it would happen so fast. "Alice, you should be aware of your surroundings," I said, standing up.

"Ha! And you should be aware that you left my – your supposed second – family in despair after your fucking disappearance."

"Alice! That's quite enough!" Esme said, still surprised by her daughter's language.

"No, mother, it isn't. Don't you think she needs to know what happened when –"

"I do know," I whispered. All eyes turned to me. "I do. Believe me; I realized what would happen…"

Storming towards me, she grabbed both my shoulders and quickly shook them. "Then why the fuck did you do it, Bella! You knew…yet you still…" It was then that I saw the tears. She dropped down to the floor and sobbed. Finally looking up at me, she uttered into the silence, "Why!"

I was then sent back into the past, when we were all just young adolescents. We didn't care about the outside world because we were focused only on our selfish needs. Edward, Alice, and I were at the park, just telling childhood memories to one another and laughing about them. I was sitting on the swings, grasping the chains with both my hands, Edward was in the same position as I was, and Alice was sitting cross-legged in front of me. All too soon, I was returned to the present – no longer laughing with them, but instead with her crying, and I wanted to run away…again. Though, by now, I should have tears streaming down my face as well; I didn't.

"Because I had to," I told her the first answer that popped up into my mind. Her face scrunched up, and whimpering noises became apparent.

"No, you didn't. You could've just stayed…stayed with me…us."

"I couldn't, Alice. I tried, but I couldn't."

Hiccupping, she asked, "Was there another person? Could he be the father of that little boy?"

_Alice did always catch on fast_, I thought. But, her thoughts were nowhere near the truth that I refused to uncover. Though this was happening right now, she should never know until everything becomes crystal clear. To do that, I needed to delay…I needed time. So, I did the only thing I could think of to prevent her, and everyone in the whole room, from uncovering the truth. I nodded.

_How many more lies would it take before a tangled web of mess would finally appear?_

Before I knew what was happening, I felt a sting against my left cheek. I looked at Alice to see tears still cascading down her face, but her right hand was turning red from having made contact with my cheek.

"That's from me. Personally, I don't think that's enough," she said, emphasizing each word before sniffing.

Just as her hand was about to make contact with my cheek once more, a crash occurred. All heads turned towards the source. _Edward_. I had wondered what could have made him shatter a glass with his bare hand before it set in on me.

Liz's voice croaked out, "We should…I'll go get the first aid treatment." Then she rushed out of the room followed by her husband. I stood frozen where I was while the others moved around, barely noticing my presence. Carlisle and Esme went towards their injured son, and Jasper wrapped Alice in his arms, whispering sweet nothings to soothe her.

I felt my shoulder slump as if a heavy weight had been added to it. I looked to my right, and there was Emmett. Though tears were trying to spill, I refused to let them. But, I did bury my face into my brother's warm chest. Clutching his shirt, I pressed my lips together, still not letting the tears fall.

What Alice gave me stung a lot. Though my eyes were watery, I knew that it was from the slap. Alice had slapped me because she couldn't bear the pain I had inflicted upon her anymore. The mark that I knew was forming against my pale skin was something that I deserved; that's why I didn't blame her.

I heard some shuffling and Carlisle's and Liz's whispering voices. "I'm so sorry that this is how your dinner turned out, Liz."

"No worries. I'm just glad it wasn't worse," Liz said in her good-natured tone.

"That may be so, but I didn't think it would turn out like this, especially after you invited Bella here just for us to see her again."

I was lost for words. I knew that she and Esme had been closed since their high school days, but I had at least figured she would respect my one wish, which was to not let anyone find out about me. But now, to hear Carlisle say that the reason they had traveled here was because of the dinner party she had arranged so they could see me – this knowledge fueled my anger.

Then I began thinking of the emails she had sent me and phone calls stating that I must come to the dinner party; it all made sense now. She had wanted me to come so badly because she knew the Cullens were coming. What's worse was she involved Emmett and Rosalie.

"Bells, what's wrong?" Emmett murmured to my ear, concern apparent in his voice. It was then that I noticed I was shaking. I was actually shaking from the anger that I felt.

"Bella, honey, what's wrong?" Liz asked with the same tone as Emmett. I flinched from her touch, disgusted that she would dare ask what was wrong. I stepped out of my brother's arms and glared at her. I was livid. "Bella, what's wrong?" She tried to touch me once more, but I slapped her hand away.

"Mwommy?" Turning, I saw my son by the stairs.

"We're leaving." Without further explanation, I grabbed his arm and dragged us out the door, shutting the door and their cries along the way.

We reached the car, and I drove, loving the sound my Audi was making as it purred to life because it was the only one who could take me away from the scene that had unfolded in front of us. Instead of returning back to the apartment I had called home for almost three years, I kept driving. Endless tears fell down my face until I couldn't see anymore and was forced to make a stop at an empty parking lot.

I left the engine running as I let my hands cover my face, my only available privacy. I heard the click that signaled unbuckling of a car-seat before feeling a small, chubby hand on my shoulder. The hand patted me reassuringly, and I continued to weep.

_Why is it that I'm only ever capable of crying into my hands? _I thought, laughing humorlessly.

"Mwommy, watch wong?" Nate asked in a small voice.

Sniffling, I said, "Nothing…Mommy's just stressed out. Get back into your car-seat." He did as he was told, and we drove off once more except that, this time, we were going back to the apartment, where I could recover from today's damage.

* * *

_So, did you love it...hate it? Lemme know when you review!  
_

_By the way, I've forgotten to say that the 'novel' that Bella is creating, Identity, is a Twilight fiction created by my dear friend, Mimi-Love4Ever.  
The summary is the same, except for the names. PLEASE check it out =) It would mean a lot to me.  
_

_Also, I'm thinking of starting another story because the idea has been going around in my head, and I've already written the first chapter.  
But, I'm still unsure when I should publish it..._

_Until next time!_

xx  
_Antevorte _


	7. Chapter 6: Parents & Their Child

Chapter 6: Parents & Their Child

_Beep! Beep! Beep! Bee_ –

Groggily, I pressed the alarm on my phone for the ringing to stop. I clutched my head tightly, wanting for the spinning to stop as my eyes tried to scan the room. After a minute, my wish was granted. Closing my eyes, my brain gave me quick flashes of what had occurred last night.

_Going to Liz's; Seeing the Cullens; Them suspecting who Nate is; Alice yelling at me; Edward injured; Me leaving._

The images stopped, and I opened my eyes, pulling on my hair in frustration and anger. I looked to where the window was. It was getting light outside, so it should have been around eight, though I didn't bother to double check.

It wasn't until I started to get up that I realized I had been sleeping on the floor. I tried to remember how I ended up where I was, but no images popped up. My eyes widened as I saw an empty alcohol on the floor, just a few feet away from me. I attempted to recall what had happened again. This time, I saw distorted images of leaving the car, entering the apartment, tucking Nate in, and closing the door of my room. After crying some more, I took a bottle of vodka out of my secret hiding place.

I stood quickly and went directly to the bathroom to take some aspirin. Washing my face with cold water was amazingly refreshing. Drying my face with a small towel, I went to Nate's room to see if he had woken up. Satisfied that he was still in a deep slumber, I went to the living room and sat on the black leather armchair.

How could things have gone so wrong after everything was finally getting settled in and seemed to be going so right?

I couldn't help but let the tears spill. All I wanted was to keep everyone from getting hurt, from discovering the truth. But now, my foundation of my new life is crumbling one by one like the bricks of the Bastille that the French tore down.

"Mwommy?" My head turned, and I saw Nate, half hidden behind the doorway of his room. I quickly wiped the tears.

"Yes, sweetie?" I asked in a croaky voice. I swallowed the lump in my throat and tried to smile.

"Erre wu okay?"

I nodded, opening my arms, and he willingly jumped in them. I hugged him tight against my chest. It's true what my mother had told me when I was younger: When your child hugs you, the stress you'd felt before washes away like you've had a 24-hour massage and spa treatment. I realized that there should be nothing on my mind besides making my child happy, just like what my own parents did for me.

"Want breakfast?" He grinned crookedly at me, nodding his head. I set him on the ground, and we held hands walking towards the kitchen to make his favorite breakfast – French toast.

It was Saturday; so naturally, Nate and I were seated on the couch watching Disney Channel. Healthy foods were set on the coffee table Rose and Emmett had given me. We munched on it as we laughed at Zack teasing Cody from The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.

My phone began to ring, so I picked it up from the armchair to see that it was Rose. I left the living room to have a private conversation, closing the bedroom door behind me.

"What do you want, Rose?" I asked, not at all surprised by the coldness of my voice.

"I know what you're going to say, Bella, but…"

"Save it! The three of you lied to me…broke your promise to me. Do you know how much that hurts?"

"I know! But, Bella, you've got to under-" Her voice sounded exasperated, but I didn't bother letting her finish her sentence.

"Understand what, Rose? That you're a backstabber? Well, if that's what you meant, then I understand completely."

"Bella, let me finish my-"

"No! Do you understand how I felt? How ambushed I felt? Do you!"

"Bella, LISTEN!" I paused, letting her finish. "We know what we did was wrong, but we felt that it was time you meet them and for them to know. And don't you think Nate has the right to get to know them?" I scoffed, my anger boiling. Not wanting to let Nate hear me scream, I said the only thing that was on my mind before hanging up.

"And you listen to me, Rose. You do NOT get to decide what's best for me or Nate. Nate is my son, and I am an adult, capable of deciding between right and wrong. Do not call, text or come over - any of you. If you do, I don't know what I'll do. So, just leave us alone." With that, I pressed the end button and took my phone apart before throwing all three parts - the phone, the back and the battery - on my bed and returning to Nate.

"Who wush it?" Nate asked, looking up at me.

"The usual marketing." He nodded and turned his attention back to the TV while I ruffled his hair lovingly. He always did remind me of Edward. Both of their eyes had emerald except Nate had some brown that he had gotten from me. Though Nate's hair color was similar to mine, he had a hint of red that was only visible when the sun's rays hit it.

"Mwom, you're mwessing up mwy hair stwyle." My hand immediately stopped, and I looked at him apologetically.

"Old habits die hard?" He looked at me quizzically, and I just shook my head, telling him that it's nothing.

After a few more minutes of watching kids' shows, I got up and told Nate that I would be in my room. I tried to clear my mind as I entered my hideout and turned on my laptop. Staring at a blank document screen was like staring at a white ceiling.

_Damn this writer's block_, I thought. I let my head drop to the keyboard and closed my eyes, letting out a breath of frustration. _This week just keeps getting better and better._

Having poured out the last of my creative juice left in me after two agonizing hours, I was done with a chapter - a single chapter. _Oh why can't a sparkling vampire just fall in love with me and turn me into an immortal so then maybe, just maybe, I could have some inspiration? _ I sighed, sarcastically. Just as I started to relax, my phone rang. I looked at the caller id to see that it wasn't anyone I knew.

"Hello?" I asked the other line.

"Bella?" a feminine voice asked back. She was somewhat familiar, though I couldn't place who it was.

"Yes, this is she."

My heart literally skipped a beat at her reply. "It's…Esme."

"Oh…hi," I said lamely, not knowing what else to come up with. My mind was too preoccupied to figure out how she had gotten a hold of my number without my permission and knowing.

"Liz gave me your number when I asked for it." _Well that certainly answered my question_.

"I see." There was a brief silence before I heard her whisper.

"We…can we please talk, face to face?" My heart skipped a beat again, only this time it was added with a twisted knot in my stomach. "Please, Bella." She begged.

"I…I'm sorry. I'm really busy-"

"It won't take long at all; an hour will do," she insisted, interrupting me desperately. I thought about it for a minute. It was against my better judgment, but I agreed, nonetheless. I owe her that much, at least.

"You could bring Nate with you," she added. I agreed again, telling her the directions to the café where she should meet. She thanked me and bid me good day.

_What was wrong with me!_ I promised myself that the Cullens will not take part in my life anymore, yet here I was making plans to meet Esme. I sighed, frustrated at my stupidity. Lately, I've been sighing so much that I've lost count how many times I do it a day, not that I could blame myself.

I walked out of my room to see Nate had awoken from the nap he had taken while I wrote. He glanced at me when he heard my footsteps. Leaning against my doorway, I said, "Nate, we're going to the usual café, Cerise Amour, so turn the TV off and be in the bathroom, ready for a shower, in fifteen minutes." He nodded. "Do you need help getting your clothes off, or are you big enough to do it yourself?" I asked, after a few seconds.

Shaking his head, he said in a deep voice, "No, mwommy. I'm a man. Man don't nweed help with anyfwing." I chuckled. He turned the electronics off and rushed inside his bedroom. As I went to the bathroom to prepare his bath, I could hear some shuffling inside his room.

"Mwommy!" Nate yelled after a minute. I turned the warm water off as the tub became full. Just as I turned around, I saw Nate struggling with getting his shirt off his head. I laughed before helping him get the shirt off his head and helping him into the tub.

"Mwommy, dere's going to bwee a dwaddy and me day," he started. "Itch mandworary to go."

"Really? Then, I guess we'll just have to ask your uncle to go with you," I replied as I scrubbed his body.

"Mwommy, do you twink dwaddy would come wit me if he wasn't in heaven?" I bit my lower lip and answered him without meeting his gaze.

"Of course he would." Shampoo-ing his head, I heard him hum the melody I would always play for him.

Ducking his head and closing his eyes as the water was poured on him, he asked, "Would e pway soccer wid me like Dan's dad?"

"Of course he would. But, doesn't Uncle Em already play with you?" He looked at me with sad eyes.

"Yesh, but e's not daddy."

"But you know…"

He interrupted me and said, "I know…itch dat I wished e wash here…witch us." Though his chestnut bangs were covering his eyes, I could still sense the sadness that overwhelmed him.

I got him out of the tub, dried him off, and wrapped him in the towel. I looked at him while I held both his shoulders. "Even if daddy isn't here, he still loves you; you do know that, right?" He nodded. I embraced him as tight as I could.

After dressing him and leaving him inside his room to get myself ready, I felt a wave of sadness take over me as the water flowed over my naked body. I was hate myself, knowing that I was inflicting pain on my own son, but there was no turning back after all these years. A decision had already been made, and was determined to stick to it.

"_You know kids need __both__ of their parents," Rosalie explained to me sincerely. I coldly stared at her. "It's true, Bella; no matter how much you might hate to hear it."_

"_Rose, please…"_

"_Bella, your kid is gonna need a daddy to talk manly stuff about and play sports with. Heck, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want to tell him how kids are made when he's a teenager."_

"_Rose!"_

_She shrugged. "What? It's true." I rolled my eyes. _

"_If that ever happens, then I'm sure I can ask Em for that." She arched a perfect eyebrow._

"_Oh, really? It'll be a wonder if he can explain it without explicit details." She got me there. "Point is he's going to need you and his father. All kids need their parents. I heard from a co-worker of mine that boys who have no fathers tend to be rebels. If not, they become a mama's boy, and I'm sure you don't want either." _

"_Seriously, Rose, please stop," I said, my voice almost cracking. _

_She stared into my eyes, her humor gone. "All joking aside, he needs a father. Maybe you don't want him to be part of your life anymore, but, sooner or later, your kid's going to wonder why he doesn't have two parents like the other children. What excuse will you give then?"_

Naturally, Rosalie was right. After only a week of going to school, Nate asked where his father was. Of course, I lied. I told him that his dad had passed away, gone to heaven, so he wasn't going to come back. But, since Karma really had it in for me, he managed to find out where I was. Hitting my head on the tiled wall, I wondered what I was going to do. I couldn't keep hiding forever.

Forty-five minutes later, Nate and I left our comfortable apartment to meet Esme. As I drove, my stomach turned, twisted, and flipped upside down. Hopefully, this time, nothing would go wrong. Though, knowing my luck, there was a good chance something might.

We reached the parking lot of the café, and I braced myself mentally. This was truly nerve-wracking for me, but I knew that I had to be calm about it. After all, it was only a meeting to discuss...

_Wait! What exactly were we going to talk about? Could it be…_ I glanced at Nate who was excited about finally coming to the café after weeks of not visiting it. I took his hand gently and walked in, using the back door.

"Bella! Mon ami!" Bridgette called to me from the kitchen. She walked towards me and we hug, kissing each other on the cheeks just like the French do. "And 'eetle Nate!" She pinched both of his cheeks before kissing his forehead. "Fenally, 'ou 'ave come! I was gezzing worried 'out 'ou."

I smiled politely. "I know. But things have been busy. I'm actually here meeting a friend, so…"

"Ah, of 'ourse! 'Ou is very popular 'ere , espezially with ze guyz." She winked at me before we chuckled.

Bridgette just recently came to America from Paris. She was introduced to me by Jason, another worker from the café. She is having a hard time with English, but she works hard. Being a pretty brunette, she gets lots of admirers. The manager doesn't mind as long as they pay and don't disturb the other customers.

"No, no, I'm not."

"'Es 'ou erre! 'Ou very pretty!"

"Thank you; that's very kind of you to say."

"Bridgette, vener ici!" We turned our heads to see Jason chopping some vegetables. "Ah, Bella!"

"Hello."

"I would greet you myself, but, as you can see, we are busy."

"It's alright, I understand."

"'Ell, Bella, must get back ze work. À bientôt!" She patted my cheek and went to aid Jason. Nate and I continued walking, but I soon stopped in my tracks. Esme was seated near the window, over-looking the traffic jam that is the trademark of Manhattan.

_Here goes nothing._

_

* * *

_

_So, did you like it? Hate it? So-and-so? Well, let me know how you feel by reviewing ;)  
I'll tell you now that the next update will be on the first week of December. Why?  
I've decided on doing NaNoWriMo & my finals are this month so I'll be uber duper busy.  
Lastly:  
- Teaser WILL BE POSTED ON MY BLOG!  
- Follow me on twitter, yah? - Antevorte_

_Till next time! xx _


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